
Golf-Scheffler, McIlroy look to tame Oakmont, DeChambeau seeks repeat U.S. Open win
FILE PHOTO: Jun 1, 2025; Dublin, Ohio, USA; Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/File Photo
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Scottie Scheffler, who has cemented himself as the preeminent force in golf, enters this week's U.S. Open seeking the third leg of a career Grand Slam while Rory McIlroy hopes to reclaim his major magic and Bryson DeChambeau eyes a repeat title.
World number one Scheffler has three wins in his last four starts, including last month's PGA Championship, and is clear favorite at Oakmont Country Club where his driving proficiency, elite short game and patient approach could be the difference.
Oakmont, arguably the toughest course in the United States, is a quintessential U.S. Open venue given its penalizing rough, narrow fairways and nerve-testing greens that many expect will ultimately result in a winning score above par.
The physical and mental grind expected this week could open the door for three-times major champion Scheffler, who tends to be in contention wherever he tees it up given his unflappable temperament and exacting style that can wear down a field.
"He's got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you're behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he's not going to make any mistakes," NBC Sports/Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman said on a U.S. Open media conference call.
Northern Ireland's McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors at the Masters in April but at the PGA Championship he finished well out of contention while using a back-up driver after his preferred one failed a conformity test.
Now the world number two, fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open, will get another crack at an event where he has endured his fair share of heartbreak in recent years.
At the 2024 U.S. Open, where the Northern Irishman was seeking his first major triumph in a decade, McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and finished runner-up for a second consecutive year.
BIG-HITTING DECHAMBEAU
DeChambeau, looking to become the event's first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018, has become a regular force at golf's biggest events and with five top-six finishes across the last six majors he should be in the mix thisweek.
The big-hitting DeChambeau, who thisyear briefly held the final-round leadat the Masters and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, has become one of the game's biggest draws due partly to his eponymous YouTube channel.
His willingness to embrace fans when he is in contention for the game's biggest prizes could him to a third major title as he defends his crown, having also won the U.S. Open in 2020.
"He's learned that whipping up the crowd, becoming connected with the crowd only helps him -- not only helps him get cheered for, but I think it helps him with his own confidence level," said NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks.
"He's become a lot more dangerous of a guy, especially at the biggest ones they play, the majors. And that's proven to be true."
Among some of the other notables in the 156-player field at Oakmont are Spaniard Jon Rahm, British Open champion Xander Schauffele and Swede Ludvig Aberg.
A stern test awaits at Oakmont -- which is hosting a U.S. Open for a record 10th time and first since 2016.
Accuracy off the tee will be paramount given the penal rough lining Oakmont's narrow fairways that lead to greens that could be the fastest players compete on all year.
"It's going to be an absolute physical, mental grind," said Kaufman. "I think you'll see the toughest players on Sunday that are in contention, it will be the guys that have been able to keep their wits about them, not have those blow-up holes completely derail their championship.
"It sounds like it's going to be crazy, crazy hard."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
14 minutes ago
- The Star
Soccer-Auckland coach readies part-time squad for Club World Cup's 'toughest group'
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Club World Cup - Draw - Miami, Florida, United States - December 5, 2024, General view of the Club World Cup trophy after the draw REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo (Reuters) -Auckland City's players aren't full-time professionals and many have taken annual leave to compete in the Club World Cup where they face what coach Paul Posa calls "the toughest group". New Zealand's champions, who are fresh from winning the OFC Champions League, will face Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C of the revamped tournament, which starts on Saturday, and Posa acknowledged their uphill battle. "It's quite possibly the toughest group we could have drawn," Posa, who guided them to fifth place in the old Club World Cup in 2009, told Reuters. "We have two traditional European powerhouses in Bayern Munich and Benfica and Boca Juniors, who are also capable of going all the way." "We have competed in many of the previous versions of the CWC competition which has given us a broad range of experience allowing us to punch above our weight in the past. Our goals are to be prepared, and compete, to the best of our ability," he added. Auckland enter the 32-team tournament months after claiming their 13th Oceania title and fourth in succession. Yet despite continental success, football remains a part-time commitment for the squad. "All of the players have other jobs alongside their football commitments," said Posa. "However, they have an extraordinary dedication to their football outside of their working hours. "Players have had to take annual leave from their jobs... Indeed some of the players were unable to take time to attend both the OFC Champions League competition and the Club World Cup." The mid-June to mid-July tournament timing means it falls during Auckland's season rather than after it, as the previous version of the competition did. "Thechallenge of having the CWC fall in the middle of the season has been ensuring that players are in top form at the right times - however I believe we're on track to achieve this," said Posa. Serving as caretaker coach for Albert Riera, who's away for family reasons, Posa previously managed Auckland from 2008-2010. During the 2009 Club World Cup, they defeated UAE's Shabab Al Ahli and DR Congo's TP Mazembe to finish fifth. The 63-year-old acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeat his 2009 success: "It's nice to dream we could be that competitive again - however, we're realistic about the challenge." While temporary, Posa has maintained Auckland's established playing style. "It has not been difficult to maintain a playing philosophy that has evolved at Auckland City over many years. Of course, every coach puts their own fingerprint on a team," he said. This stability underpins Auckland's continued success. "This comes down to building on experience gained in previous competitions and a consistent focus on being well organised and prepared, both on and off the pitch," Posa said. "The culture surrounding the team is such that they always want to win and motivating them is no problem at all." (Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, editing by Toby Davis)


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Golf-Scheffler and DeChambeau set for ultimate U.S. Open test at Oakmont
FILE PHOTO: Masters champion Scottie Scheffler hits off the first tee as he starts a practice round at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 6, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Scottie Scheffler will be the clear favourite when the U.S. Open begins on Thursday at Oakmont Country Club where the devilish course is sure to torment many of the world's best players vying for the year's third major title. There are 156 players in the field this week but it is the familiar trio of world number one Scheffler, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and Masters winner Rory McIlroy who are commanding much of the attention at Oakmont. Scheffler enters the U.S. Open in stellar form having secured three wins in his last four starts. His driving proficiency and unflappable temperament make him well suited to be in contention come Sunday. The notoriously challenging Oakmont, which is hosting the U.S. Open for a record 10th time, will demand pinpoint accuracy off the tee given the five-inch rough lining the narrow fairways that lead to lightning fast greens on the par-70 layout. "There's not really many areas where you step on the tee box and you're like, hey, I can miss it right here, hey, I can shade towards the left side of the fairway because right is really bad," said Scheffler. "Actually, if you hit it in the right rough, you're probably not going to get it to the green; if you hit it in the left rough, you're probably not going to get it to the green. So might as well try and split the difference there and hit it in the middle." A win for Scheffler would put him alongside Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth as the only active players with three legs of the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors and give him a shot at completing the feat at the July 17-20 British Open. FAN FAVOURITE Big-hitting DeChambeau, who went close at the year's first two majors, is looking to become the first repeat U.S. Open winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018. DeChambeau, one of 14 LIV Golf players in the field this week, is a fan favourite and fully expects to use their energy to help him get across the finish line and collect a third major title. "It's been a lot of fun just experiencing what the fans are giving me. It's so much energy," said DeChambeau, who briefly held the final-round lead at the Masters in April and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship last month. "The only reason why I'm still here with this much energy is because of them, and even last week (at the LIV Golf event) in Virginia, the crowds were really great and pumping me on. "Am I tired? For sure. But am I excited? I'm more excited than I am tired." 'BEST ATTITUDE' World number two McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam at this year's Masters but has struggled since, will be hoping to get his mojo back but enters the week fresh off his first missed cut of the season. The Northern Irishman, a U.S. Open runner-up the last two years, has been errant off the tee ever since being forced to switch drivers at the PGA Championship where his preferred one was considered non-conforming following a routine inspection. Despite a less-than-ideal build-up to the U.S. Open, McIlroy pronounced himself ready for a test that will challenge both the physical and mental parts of players' games. "It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss," McIlroy said of Oakmont's rough. "But the person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win." Among the other favourites this week are British Open champion Xander Schauffele, Spaniard Jon Rahm, Swede Ludvig Aberg and Ireland's Shane Lowry. Six-times major winner Mickelson, a record six-times U.S. Open runner-up who will celebrate his 55th birthday on Monday, needs a win this week to complete the career Grand Slam. This is the final year of Mickelson's five-year exemption into the U.S. Open for winning the 2021 PGA Championship and he has said this could be his last start at the major. (Reporting by Frank PingueEditing by Toby Davis)


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Golf-Oakmont's lone tree offers reprieve for sun-kissed U.S. Open fans
Jun 11, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; General view of the on the 18th green in front of the clubhouse during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Shortly beyond the third tee box at Oakmont Country Club sits the only tree on the interior of the course, a stately American elm whose sprawling branches provide the only reprieve from the blaring sun at this week's U.S. Open. The 120-year-old tree may not be anywhere near as famous as Oakmont's Church Pews Bunker but it has been more popular this week for sun-kissed golf fans drawn in by the promise of shade and cool grass under its canopy. "We've been here since about 8 o'clock this morning in the sun the entire time and this is the only shade we could find," Mark Finley, a 41-year-old accountant from New Jersey, told Reuters while he set up his chair under the tree. The typical American golf course has trees, and lots of them. There was even a time when Oakmont, which opened in 1904 and this week is hosting the U.S. Open for a record 10th time, was transformed into a traditional "parkland" course with trees. Oakmont, the vision of late founder Henry C. Fownes, was originally designed as an "inland links" course styled after the open and barren nature of Britain's traditional links courses despite not being set along a large body of water. During the 1950s thousands of trees were planted and by the early 1980s the course hardly resembled its original rugged identity as trees flanked all 18 holes. But, in a bid torevive Oakmont's original links-style identity, a tree-removal process began in earnest during the mid-1990s and ultimately led to some 15,000 trees removed. While there are still trees along the outer edges of the course, the purgeleft just one remaining on the interior of the layout. The tree does not come into play, leaving the layout effectively treeless. Devin Gee, head professional at Oakmont, told Reuters the tree at the Oakmont's third hole has not only escaped weather-related damage but has never been suggested for removal. "I wouldn't say it's because people think it's such a magnificent tree," said Gee. "It doesn't come into play, it doesn't come into line of flight or the way the hole plays in any way whatsoever. "But it's left standing, it's just sort of been the one that made it through for sure." For golf fans looking to get their souvenir U.S. Open pin flag signed by the likes of world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, the tree is serving as the perfect waiting area. "It's a pretty nice day out, pretty hot, sun is beating down on us a little bit so to get out of the sun we came over here for shade and are waiting to see if we can get an autograph," said Rocco Jerrome, a 15-year-old golf fan from West Virginia. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)